This invention relates to a coupling for connecting the articulating links of an excavator boom to the excavator bucket.
In the earthmoving art, excavators or backhoes are used extensively with various attachments or tools connected to the articulating arm elements. A bucket, shovel or other tool must be readily connected with the ability to pivot relative to the arm and yet be readily removable therefrom for attachment of another tool or for travel. Downtime for such changing of tools must be relatively low. Thus, the art has developed a number of coupling devices which are carried by the articulating arm members and manipulated to engage the bucket or other tool which is then locked or secured to the arm for use.
Although the prior art has dealt extensively with this matter, many of the solutions are believed to be unnecessarily complicated and expensive. Most of these constructions utilize hydraulic cylinder apparatus for locking and securing the bucket or other tool to the excavator. For example, the following U.S. Patents all disclose hydraulic drives: Essex, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,867 moves a slide to capture and lock a pin of the bucket; Bahemi, U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,389 rotates a latch to lock a bucket pin; Weyer, U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,313 moves forks of a clevis to capture and lock a bucket pin; Brown, U.S. Pat. No. 5,400,531 moves a pin carrying linkage; Cholakon, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,440 rotates a C-shaped locking tube relative to fixed C-shaped member; and Horton, U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,342 moves a latchpin.
Although such hydraulically driven structures are generally effective, most of them are complicated and some of them are relatively difficult to use for various reasons. In some cases, such as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,440 it is difficult for the operator to view the positioning of the coupling relative to a pin receiving aperture.
Other couplers in the prior art which although not hydraulically operated, are complicated mechanical devices such as Arnold, U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,353; Gebauer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,423,625 and Horton, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,735. Again, the complexities of these devices result in relatively expensive couplers.